The Guardian Spirit
by Narai9
Summary: -'It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.' J.R.Rowling- Chihiro had no choise. She has to cope with a power she never wanted and leave behind her life. But she's not alone and that's what really matters, right?
1. 1 'Lessons learnt'

Hi! I've never thought it would happen but I decided to write a story in English. It's not my mother tongue so sorry for all misteakes. If you notice any of them just write to me and I'll try to fix it. Of course _Spirited Away_ doesn't belong to me but the title is borrowed from a Carrie Undrewood song. Now let's start!

A pretty teenage girl was sitting peacefully on a bang of the Kohaku River with her bare feets in clean water. Lost in her own thoughts she stayed unaware of the surroundings. It had been 7 years since the adventure in the Spirit World and she couldn't believe how much had changed. She still remembered everything like it was yesterday.  
After going out from the different realm Chihiro and her parents finally maneged to find their new home. It was a cousy detached house on a hill with a small garden around it. As they were tired they did just a necessary unpacking and went to beds. The next day Chihiro thought about the adventure as the strangest dream she ever had until she saw the date. It was four days later than it should had been and none of her parents could explain it. She decided to tell mum and dad the whole story but they didn't belived her and she had to give up. That day she promised herself to write everything down as a diary or a book and to never forget.  
At new school Chihiro felt a little bit alienced but she coped with making friends during the first week. Even if she was going out a lot with them she was never truly herself and had to act.  
After six years doctors found out that her grandmother had a cancer and she needed a care. It coused a lot of discussion between her parents. Chihiro's father couldn't move because of his job and Mrs Ogino was torn apart and didn't know what to do. They were really suprised when two days later their doughter stated that she would move to her grandmother to take care of her and a house.  
The elderly lady had even more doubts. She had remembered Chihiro as cheerful, kind, a bit shy and a little spoilt child. After a week of living together it was hard to belive that her granddoughter had matured so much. The house stayed clean, dinner was prepared at 7pm sharp and everything coped with grades as high as they always were. This time it was easier for Chihiro to change a school because she had known some peers before she moved with her parents. She also found out that The Kohaku River still existed which confused her so she asked her grandma about it.  
'Well, my child, the Kohaku River was too strong to make it just disappeare.' explained ill woman 'The main torrent was guided through underground caves which lead to the lake in a forest. From there it flows in its natural river-bed. The caves couldn't hold the amount of water so another valley was digged through the forest and two parts of the river meets in the lake. I must admit that it looked terible at the begining. The water dirty from mud and there was no life in it. It took it almost four years to recover.'

The river bank became Chihiro's favourite thinking spot. She even spoke to it and told about her worries and problems or share her happiness with it. After these 'small talks' she always felt much better and could think clearer. Surrounded by nature she could calm down and saw many issues in different light.

Suddenly she noticed a tall figure of a boy heading for her. It was her nighbour and best friend, Kaoru. Chihiro couldn't imagine better companion. He was able to understand her without words and never asked any quastions. He waited patiently for her to talk. Unfortunately he had a crush on her and she had to be extremely careful not to give him any hopes.  
'What are you doing?' asked Kaoru as he sat next to Chihiro.  
'Just thinking. It's Friday afternoon so I'm glad I can relax for a while.' she smiled at him.  
'Well, it's almost 6 o'cloak so…' started the friend.  
'WHAT! Sorry, I must go home and prepare a dinner!' Chihiro dried her feet and put on shoes. 'Let's meet tomorrow,ok.?'  
'I'm visiting my aunt so I'll be free only in the evening.' said the boy with apologetic look.  
'What about eight thirty here? I should be done with everything.' suggested teenage girl.  
'If it's not too late for you then ok.' agreed Kaoru.  
'So see you tomorrow!' called Chihiro and run home.


	2. 2 'Don't forget to remeber me'

'_After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. '  
~J.K. Rowling_

Saturday's weather was beautiful. Sun shone strongly because it was almost summer. Chihiro got up early to prepare breakfast. She put on some casual clothes and went downstairs to a kitchen. She had made a big shopping two days before so a fridge was full of different kinds of chease, yogurts or fish so it took her a while to decide which products would be the best. Then she went to a corner shop nearby to buy some fresh rolls and bread. When she came back her grandma was awake and was making tea for them.  
'G' morning!' called Chihiro as she came in.  
'Good morning, honey!' elder woman smiled as she saw a cheerful face of her beloved granddoughter 'Sit down, please. I've made some tea.'  
They ate the meal with a comftable silence. The ill women looked at the teenage girl in front of her and couldn't help but smile. This young person had brought so much happiness to her life when she lost all hope. Finding out about a cancer was one of the most difficoult moments in her 70-year-long life and almost as hard as the information about her husband's death. She was depressed and gave up when Chihiro moved in. She was more then suprised to a find support in this young adolescent and was aware of the wisdom besides the experience in a such small body. The girl was filled with a strange strength which helped her fighting with all her might. When she thought about it closer, she realised that she had found her will to survive after she had got a tiny silver pendant on a tenuous neck chain from the girl. It felt back then as her granddoughter had put all her love in this petite object. Now she was fine, just had to cotroll her health more often and take some remedies.  
'Is something bothering you, grandma?' asked Chihiro when she noticed a stare.  
'No, honey. I've just realized how much I owe you, my little one.' answerd the women with a warm smile.  
'Oh, granny! You owe me nothing! Just never give up.' said the embarassed girl. 'Now, take your medicines and I'll clean here.'  
'Are you having any plans for today?' asked the grandmother before leaving.  
'I don't have much homework because the school year finishes next Friday so I'm going to do some housework. And in the evening I want to meet with Karou if you don't mind it.' told the teenager a bit suprised.  
'Of course I don't. Just don't stay outside for too long.' permited the elder and went to her room to take the drugs.  
Chihiro finished washing dishes and put out a piece of fish from a freezer to prepare it later for dinner.  
'It is so big that it should be enough for tomorrow as well.' thought the girl while she was putting glacial meat in a sink.  
She looked around and decided to hoover, wash flors and then clean a ferniture. It took her less than two hours to be done. About 10 o'clock a bell rang.  
'I'm coming!' called Chihiro to her grandmother and opened the front door.  
'Good morning!' greeted a local postman.' I have a package for Ogino Chihiro. Sign here, please.'  
'Ok.' said the girl and took a pen.' Here you are. How much do I pay?'  
' Nothing. It was paid by a sander.' answered the man politely, picked up a quite big box from the ground and gave it to Chihiro.  
'Thanks. Bye!' she bid the postman firewell and closed the door.  
She went to the kitchen and with a growing curiosity opened the box. Inside she found books. Slowly she took out one of them.  
'Grandma, look!' called the girl' Uncle Goro sent first copies of my book!  
Chihiro's father's brother was an owner of a quite big publishing house in Tokio so when he had herd about his niece's plans to write a story, he offerad to edit it as a book. He even agreed to put there girl's pictures.  
'Great, Chihiro! I can't wait to read it.' exclaimed the women while she entered the kitchen.  
'Just give me a minute to write a dedication.' told the granddoughter and took the box to her room.  
Half an hour later the elder woman was sitting cosily on her favourite armchair with a cup of hot mint tea and she was reading the amazing story. She couldn't belive it was written by her little Chihiro. Even if the book was for small children she enjoyed the action. A magical world presented in a first person through eyes of ten-year-old girl was amazing and scary at the same time. And all of the characters! They seemed to be so alive and so real. Oh, and the title: 'Spirited away.' was just perfect.  
'So, grandma, do you like it?' asked the girl with curiosity in her shinig eyes.  
'I'm only on a page ten but it's becoming more and more interesting.' answered the woman with a kind smile.  
'Can you have a break? I've made dinner a bit earlier today.' suggested Chihiro.  
'Of course, my dear. Let's eat!' agreed the grandmother and they both went to the kitchen.

After finishing writing all dedications, Chihiro went to the river bank to wait for Kaoru. She couldn't wait to give him a copy of her book and to see his priceless countenance. It was rather early so she had some time to think. Her parents were coming next day. Her mum was really excited during her last phone call and informed her that she would tell her something important that weekend. Her parents… Chihiro realised recently the influence the Spirit World had on them. While her brain became faster and her body stronger, they started to getting older much slower. Nobody would tell that they were almost 45 since they looked almost the same for last seven years.

Suddenly Chihiro heard a scream nearby. She got up quicly to see what was going on. She noticed a ten-year-old boy from her neighbourhood with a terrified look in his big eyes who run fast in her direction.  
'Help!' he shouted to Chihiro and shook her clothes' I saw them! They are coming after me!'  
'But who are they?' asked confused girl.  
'Bad people! I saw them! They killed a bank's owner!' the boy almost cried.  
'Ok., I'll help you.' Chihiro made a fast decision and felt something strange in the back of her mind' Run straight through this wood and call for help. Now!'  
She watched as the boy disappeared in the same time she noticed the sound of heavy footsteps and soon saw five figures running the same way the boy had. It was strange but she wasn't truly afraid. Somehow she knew that as long as she was there they wouldn't be able to follow the child.  
'Where is he!' shouted one of men and pointed a gun at her but she stayed quite. 'Answer me! NOW!  
'No.'she simply said suprised by her calm voice while inside she was fighting the urge to run away.  
'Finish it, Haru! We have no time!' called another of the five.  
'Right.' agreed Haru and shot. Next thing Chihiro felt was an overhelming pain below her heart and a coolness of the water in the river in which she fell. The group of men run in different directions but none of them went through the bushes as if they never noticed them.

Chihiro was taken away by the river's current. She could easily tell thet she had been slowly dying not only from the lack of air and the fact that she couldn't felt her body wasn't a good sign neither. Suddenly the water slowed down and put her gently on a bank. It was strange even for her but she didn't mind it as long as she could breathe again. She wasn't able to move a hand or a leg but she was laid on her back and could look around.  
'Chihiro? No! Chihiro! What happened?' She saw her best friend running to her and kneeling next to her.'No, don't answer. I'll find some help!  
'Wait.' she said weakly shocked that he had heard it.' Please stay with me. I'm dying, Karou, and there is nothing you can do about it.  
'NO! You can't die! Do you hear me? YOU CANNOT DIE!' he shouted with tears in his brown eyes.  
'You are the best friend I could ever had.' she had to let him know that. Her heart was screaming in pain.  
'Don't speak like this!' the boy was crying now' I… I love you, Chihiro!  
'Forget…' started the girl with a sad smile.  
'NO! I will never forget you!' promised Karou. In that moment he remember his grandmother's last words: _'Be careful with naming, my boy, because names have a great power, the power of a remembrance.'  
_'And with all the power of names I won't let anyone to forget!' he exclaimed with a suprising confidence and strengh.' I, Hoshima Karou, name this place, this part of the river, Chihiro River.'  
The said girl smiled. Just after this she felt even more dizzy. Her eyes started to close slowly and breathing became difficoult. The last thing she heard was a cry of pain.

* * *

**Again I used the title of Carrie Underwood song.**


	3. 3'This was my temporary home'

OK. I know I haven't written for a while but let me explain. I had Matura exam this year (for those who are lucky and don't know what it is: the final exam after a high school) and I needed to make a good impression with books. Then there were a lot of backwardness so I read, read and read. Ok, it's a lame excuse but I realized (again) that I prefer reading to writing.

There was only darkness. No light, no colour, nothing besides black. It was like a vacuum everywhere with no hope to escape from it. She tried to move. Did she manage? There was no air to feel the movement and no light to see it. Suddenly she noticed something else. A sound! It was faint, almost missed by her but still it was an improvement. She didn't know how long it took but the sound was coming closer and closer becoming more and more audible. After some time she was able to recognize a soft sound of leaves dancing in the wind, a calming sound of floating water and... something else. There was another sound. No, not a sound. It was rather a noise, a noise of a crowded people. But it was farther than the others. And then she started to feel. She felt a gentle breeze on her skin and playing with her hair, she felt a tender current pushing her feet and she still heard the crowd not so far from her.  
'If I can hear and feel then maybe I can open my eyes?' She thought after a while and commended her eyelids to move. So Chihiro woke up.

It was a strange sensation to finally see everything she had heard and felt before: moving branches and deeps of the Kohaku River. And a quite numerous crowd on her right. Chihiro wanted to sit to have a better view around her but just when an idea of the movement crossed her mind, her body immediately obeyed in a one smooth move.  
The girl was highly surprised to find herself in a sitting position so suddenly but she let it be then. Another thing confused her farther more: it was a middle of a night or at least a very late evening. Had she fell asleep? But she was supposed to meet Karou here. He left her here? Or maybe he didn't come? She tried to recall last events but it only caused a headache.  
Finally Chihiro decided to get up and see what happened that had caught attention of so many people. Again she didn't have to put any effort in a movement. It left her a bit dizzy. Since when was her body so flexible and fast? Or maybe it was because of the headache? But shouldn't be moving more difficult then? She didn't understand it. Chihiro started to walk in the direction of the gathering incredibly slowly so her brain was able to keep up with her legs.  
It wasn't cold outside. The wind was so warm that even with wet feet Chihiro didn't shiver. The full moon shone brightly making the night even more beautiful. As the girl came closer she noticed an ambulance and some policemen blocking people from coming too close.  
'There must have been an accident.' concluded Chihiro 'Maybe somebody fell into the river? Well, not the first nor the last one.'  
Indeed it happened from time to time. Usually a sufferer was a drunk person who thought that it would be nice to swim or a child who escaped parents eyes. And most of them ended tragically when after several days bodies were found in the lake after the waterfall. The Kohaku River was definitely not a safe one even if it looked like it.

She saw a gap between a policeman and the ambulance so she went there. Nobody seemed to notice her but it didn't bother her... yet. Finally she managed to have a look but what appeared left her in a shock. In the middle was Karou sobbing silently holding a book for him with her best friend, Kimiko, who had puffy eyes too. Next to them was her beloved grandmother kneeling on a ground and crying over a body. But it wasn't just _a_ body. It was her own corpse lying there in wet clothes with blood in the middle of her stomach just below last ribs. And then all the memories came back along with understanding. She died. She couldn't watch it any longer and wanted to go away but a conversation caught her attention.  
'What happened to her, doctor?' asked a policewoman filling in some documents.  
'Well, I'm amazed that she didn't get drowned. She had to be strong enough to swim but it seems to be impossible.' answered a man in an elegant leather jacket.  
'Why is it so hard to belief? A heard she used to be fit?' asked the curious woman.  
'I cannot say anything more precise without a closer examination but judging from the place a bullet injured her, I think it caused a lot of blood loss and disconnected a spinal cord.' explained the doctor.  
'So she wasn't able to move her legs?' concluded the policewoman and the man only nod. 'Then I am surprised we found her here and not in the lake like always. What a pity! She was so young...  
'But I heard she saved a boy?' the doctor made a question from a statement.  
'Yes, you're right. The poor boy saw a gang breaking into a local bank and killing the owner. He said he had ran away but they must have noticed him and followed. At the river bank he met her and she told him to go to the police station which is close. We still don't know what she did but the point is the gang didn't follow the boy. Thanks to her the kid is alive and can give evidence for a trial.' A voice of the woman was still but Chihiro noticed that some tears escaped her eyes.  
'So you caught the gang members?' asked the doctor and gently stroked a policewoman's shoulder.  
'Yes, it took us a while but yes...' she answered. Chihiro couldn't stand it any longer and ran away.

The teenager found a place for herself on a huge rock which half was in the water and half on a land. She sat there with crossed legs and tried to collect her thoughts but she couldn't. The image of the scene she saw was printed in her mind too deeply and the conversation she overheard didn't help her either. She started to realize what she had lost. Chihiro was worried about her family. What would her grandma do without her? And her parents? They were coming the following day to tell her something important. Chihiro didn't want to mention her friends. All her thoughts made her crying hard and long. Even the calming sound of the floating river wasn't able to ease her pain.

Chihiro woke up the next day tired and with soaring eyes. Her new body was moving smoothly like it had done before but it told the girl it didn't like sleeping on the rock by pain in her muscles. She straighten herself a bit, put her feet in the river and decided to think about everything more carefully to understand her new state. This day her thoughts were more clear and a word 'death' wasn't making her crying.  
'I died. 'She started from the beginning.' It means that I am not a human any longer and I am not connected with my body. I don't know what I am doing here and why I didn't move to the better place or somewhere even if I don't believe in any heaven. And that means that I became some kind of spirit, a soul. A _lost_ soul I should add.' She put her hands on her head in frustration.' What is that? My hairband?'  
Chihiro took it into her hands leaving the hair loose. She watch the small object warily and recall the events from the previous evening.  
' I had it on my hair all day.' she told herself. Not like anybody would be able to hear that. 'For sure I had it in the right place during the accident and for sure it became warmer when I was shot. Then I saw my two best friends and my grandma crying over my body but there my hair were loose like I have it now!' The girl for the first time in a while didn't feel alone.

Chihiro didn't know how long she sat there but she had no idea what she could do. She watched people walking around talking about last events, listened to birds singing or just had pleasure from a warmth of the summer sun.  
Suddenly the strong urge from the back of her mind told her to go to her right along the river. Chihiro wasn't sure if she should obey but it was too strong feeling to just ignore it. She was walking slowly and suspiciously. Her brain got used to the recent way she moved long ago but the whole situation was new for her even if it just seemed right. She wasn't far from the rock when she saw something in grass. She came closer. It was a big beautiful fish which must have jumped out from the water. Without hesitation Chihiro took the animal and throw it into the river. In that moment the feeling in her mind changed into the calming happiness and satisfaction. That was when she noticed something on her left wrist so she looked closer.  
After the first glance she thought it was a tattoo but when she touch it, it felt more like a skin there changed a colour and created something like a wristlet. The fancy pattern made of a plant which looked a bit like a vain had many colours, mostly dark blue and green. Instictively Chihiro put the left hand in the water. One drop was enough to make the wristlet shine beautifully. In that moment the girl could feel everything that was happening in the river: fish swimming quietly, children laughing while sitting on a bend and trying to water each other, birds trying to catch something to eat and algae moving with the current. At that very moment Chihiro understood that somehow she was connected to this river and they became one.

Even if the girl managed to accept her death in some parts, the worst experience was ahead of her. After four days from the accident when her body was checked by doctors, the gang members were all in a jail waiting for a trial, and documents were written down, the authorities of the town agreed to call this part of the Kohaku River the Chihiro River and decided to bury the brave girl's body nearby the river.  
The whole event was enormous. Everybody was there: local VIPs, people from national television, her all school mates and her family. The sight of the last two was the worst. Her mum was still crying hugged by her dad and they both were very pale. Her beloved grandma had no more tears left and she was playing with the pedant for the whole time. Karou wasn't even sobbing but Chihiro knew that he just locked it all inside. The boy was hugging Kimiko, her best girl friend, whose tears were falling down but nothing more.  
After some pathetic words and sad songs, Chihiro's body was put in a beautiful white tomb which was prepared before the ceremony. Then the mayor unveiled a commemorative plaque with the new name of this river part. Finally it was finished. Everybody moved to go home, talk for a while or leave flowers. That was when Chihiro came closer to her family just to hear once again her mum's voice. She knew she was invisible for humans. Only animals seemed to notice her and she even discovered that they obey her with a respect but not a fear.  
In a crowd the girl recognized the policewoman and the doctor she saw before. There was a boy she saved with red roses waiting to put them on the tomb with his parents by his sides. At last she reached her beloved ones. They were hugging each other and telling comforting words. They didn't say anything important but Chihiro took a pleasure from just hearing they voices maybe for the last time. Only her mother stayed quite.  
'What is wrong, my dear?' asked the grandma after a while clearly worried.' Do you not feel well?'  
'Ow, mum!' said silently Yuuko between sobs.' I didn't manage to tell Chihiro that I am pregnant.'  
For statement like this the teenager wasn't prepared. Once again she ran to the rock and cried herself to sleep.

The following morning wasn't easy. Of course, Chihiro understood that another child was a great news. The visit in the Spirit World made her parents healthy and after her death the whole family had another purpose to live. However, the girl was fully aware that from that moment she would miss everything that was going to happen. Her beloved ones wouldn't share with her their happiness and troubles and she couldn't rely on them anymore. That made her lonely.

Chihiro was tired of all the emotions so she connected herself with the river like she did every day from the event with the fish. Although the water was sad as her due to their strange bond, the girl didn't felt so lost and alone. After all she had somebody or rather something. Also she found out that to help animals or plants she didn't have to do it physically. It was enough to throw in a wanted direction a will with a request. Of course she needed to be careful and focus but she felt a strength coming from the river which allowed her to gain the furthest parts of it. The water didn't have a mind like Chihiro, however she was able to understand it through images, feelings and sensations it sent her and that was enough. The river was a good companion. When the girl was sad, lonely or sentimental (which she was most of the time) it showed her images of small fish playing together and jumping above the water but usually it made the teenager watch the fish she saved. This time Chihiro saw the view from the waterfall which connected both part of the Kohaku River. It is said that they reunited in the lake below it but if you were exact, you would notice that one part was falling from the top while the second half was flowing out from the enter of the cages somewhere in the middle of the waterfall. And from that point the whole Kohaku River was falling into the lake together.

Unexpectedly Chihiro felt around her body something new. She had no idea what it might have been but it was like a presence of a very powerful person and that scared her. Before coming back to her body she send the sensation to the river. It didn't understood her at the beginning but then sent the girl calming emotions which tried to explain to her that there was nothing to worry.

After putting her left hand from the water Chihiro sat still. The stranger was coming from her right and if she wasn't mistaken he should be seen well enough. She moved her head slightly. She saw a tall handsome boy who looked about her age in dark old-fashioned clothes which she had seen only in one place. But what caught her attention were his big green eyes that she knew so well. They both stared at each other for a long while as they couldn't believe their own eyes.  
'Chihiro? Is that you?' he asked finally breaking the silence.  
'Haku!' called the girl.  
In a second she got up and run this few meters. Chihiro hugged the old friend tightly. She started crying again. Haku didn't understood what was going on but when the girl sobbed for the first time he sat down with her and silently offered her a shoulder to cry on. They would talk later.


End file.
